MM_someday

Great find, it even sandwiches tightly with a LAX-OGG roundtrip. Something like this and this generates 11,358 BIS miles at 3.7 cpm

cruser1

Thanks! If you're trying to sandwich trips, there are a few dates where you can fly KOA-LAX-SFO-LAX-KOA for $210 roundtrip which is 6008 miles and 3.49 cpm.

An example -
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...q5v6yj47WRwt76
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...GbR41vZkrsVHf8

cruser1

Or there is OGG-SFO-SEA-SFO-OGG - $218 r/t - 6034 miles - 3.61 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...wTTYVoh6asqiK9

Depending on how much time you have, you can get a trip to Zurich, Switzerland (ZRH), but the cheapest trips are several days long.

KOA-DEN-ORD-ZRH-IAD-LAX-KOA - $670 r/t - 17609 miles - 3.8 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...YNRMqiiSMPiTv8
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...idQDoxfz2E8uM6

The price climbs quickly for shorter trips to about $820 r/t - 4.65 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...mTqJqDXdqp7iYA



Just above 4cpm and an interesting flight option!

HNL-LAX-MEL roundtrip. I didn't even know you could fly United roundtrip to Australia from Hawaii. I guess I assumed the route would be too inefficient since you basically fly the wrong direction for 5 hours to begin the journey.

HNL-MEL - $979 r/t - 20954 miles - 4.67cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...nice9NSg5r5SUA

I guess AA flies AKL-Portugal/Spain via the US, so this is a similar fare to that one.

ContinentalFan

The post prompts me to check out Hawaii to DXB to see if there are any deals.

lensovet

"Can't be used for flights", as discussed in the linked thread, is a poor wording for "can't be used for qualification" (perhaps originally meant "can't be used for qualifying flights"?). However, as indicated in the thread, contrary to what is written, they seemingly never programmed it correctly. A3 has better wording: "(Only award miles are applicable. Tier mileage accrual is not permitted.)"

In terms of your fare rules, this is something that AS does as well. The fare class for BE is always N; however, there is an underlying non-basic code that it maps to for the fare rules (Alaska does this with X fares). The earning, if any, would be based on N, not K/G.

cruser1

Nah, $1456 roundtrip - HNL-LAX-EWR-DXB, but the fare isn't basic economy - 6.13 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...LUHsHpRhJHRAw9



SEA-EWR-BOG-IAH-SEA - $259 r/t through May - 2.89 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...M4WMV33uoiK6P6

If somebody is starting in Asia, fares out of Singapore dropped about a week ago.
SIN-SFO-IAD-LGA - $714 r/t - 3.14 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...X5FBh23ew2xri8

ContinentalFan

That SIN flight is a great catch.

cruser1

Last week oneworld dropped prices on flights from Hawaii / US West Coast to Europe and a few days later Star Alliance matched.

Some of these are UA ticket stock, but not completely operated by UA

Kahului (OGG) - Rome (FCO) - $505 r/t - 17774 miles - 2.84 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...Feu243RTfAqcMA

Chicago (ORD) - Seattle (SEA) - $117 r/t - 3442 miles - 3.39 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...UxzxZwTZV5qAJ9

Bogota (BOG) - Seattle (SEA) - $278 r/t - 8194 miles - 3.39 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...sWtdondt7Xe4t8

Honolulu (HNL) - Zurich (ZRH) - $513 r/t - 17948 miles - 2.86 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...8r74V5nyEBnra6

Honolulu (HNL) - Lyon (LYS) - $549 r/t - 18090 miles - 3.03 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...tmPNwBRaiqF6JA

Santa Ana (SN) - Athens (ATH) - $504 r/t - 14778 miles - 3.41 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...BbVK5jTQ8cQuY7

Tucson (TUS) - Athens (ATH) - $509 r/t - 14224 miles - 3.58 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...kzsKvG1Nxupgu6

San Luis Obispo (SBP) - Athens (ATH) - $509 r/t - 15820 miles - 3.22 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...WAyngXQbKLu5b6

Kailua (KOA) - Munich (MUC) - $570 r/t - 17295 miles - 3.30 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...bd18zNAR9Wu9G6

Salt Lake City (SLC) - Bogota (BOG) - $259 r/t - 7003 miles - 3.69 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...z1hTUiEXLnwEK9

Honolulu (HNL) - Frankfurt (FRA) - $586 r/t - 16196 miles - 3.62 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...jPJ4Umo9AXNky8

Medford (MFR) - Athens (ATH) - $509 r/t - 16108 miles - 3.16 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...a8d5eAmuGPUuXA

Kahului (OGG) - Florence (FLR) - $548 r/t - 17254 miles - 3.18 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...Px1uyZUyd9R356

San Francisco (SFO) - Tirana (TIA) - $507 r/t - 13103 miles - 3.87 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...JeCGeXFD1vqs8A

Kailua (KOA) - San Francisco (SFO) - $200 r/t - 5208 miles - 3.84 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...DSvGkTY2ARLEZ9

San Francisco (SFO) - Kailua (KOA) - $200 r/t - 5208 miles - 3.84 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...qJN83a4VFyqLQ6

San Francisco (SFO) - Kauai (LIH) - $195 r/t - 4894 miles - 3.98 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...Mj8xsodmqdDro6

Kahului (OGG) - Frankfurt (FRA) - $591 r/t - 17257 miles - 3.42 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...8yrosKQcmU89i8

Santa Ana (SNA) - Barcelona (BCN) - $491 r/t - 12615 miles - 3.89 cpm
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...mtJaSmsegCNZs8

ContinentalFan

Thanks, cruser1 for the post! I wish I could take some of those flights. 😞

CollegeTraveler787

Departure Airport: EWR/LGA
Miles (PQF/PQP/BIS, choose one) Needed: 5000 PQP
Maximum Budget: $3000
Available Travel Dates: Till 12/31
Required Metal or Codeshares Okay: Codeshares Okay

Hi All! After a few years of American I'm working on coming back to United and regaining status. Basically want to get ahead on qualifying for gold and want to find the most efficient ways of earning PQPs. Know that PE flights on European preferred partners can get some great $ spent/PQP ratios but wondering if anyone has sen some optimized partners/routing that could get me there the quickest.

cruser1

You can head to Europe in Premium Economy if you want, but at the moment it's about $1500 roundtrip for a short trip to Europe in PE. For that same $1500 you can get to India or Sub-Saharan Africa via Europe. You'll hit the PQP cap, but at least you'll earn more PQP's for your $1500 than a roundtrip to Europe because you'll hit the PQP cap twice in each direction of travel.

For example, here's an economy / premium economy mix to Nairobi, Kenya (NBO) for $1506 roundtrip - https://www.google.com/travel/flight...WApu1bNkPqcdB6

You'll hit the PQP cap on the flights to/from Europe and the flights between Europe and NBO, but you'll still earn 3106 PQP for the roundtrip (the economy segments actually earn 150% mileage because they book into Y).

Cost per PQP - 48.4868 cents USD each

Screenshots (expand the spoiler)
.

Ifly321

Departure Airport: HNL, SFO, LAX
Miles (PQF/PQP/BIS, choose one) Needed: PQP
Maximum Budget: $2k UA Flight credit
Available Travel Dates: May -> EOY
Required Metal or Codeshares Okay: UA
Route(s) You've Already Searched: SFO/CPT,

Sitting on $2k FC and 2219 PQP. Got another 750+- PQP coming end of month on a HNL/RNO RT and again First week of May. SO, I would like to max out some PQP even though I know it's almost 1:1 on UA. I would be willing to add on if using the 2k FC would help with positioning me for better opportunities.

cruser1

That flight credit is going to get you slightly less than 2k PQP no matter what United codeshare airline you fly or where you decide to fly to, so go where you want to go! When you buy a ticket on United ticket stock (which is all that flight credit will allow) you'll receive 1 PQP per dollar spent toward base fare and carrier-imposed fees, excluding taxes.

Enjoy! Hope you're not disappointed.

mdbe

I’m trying to maximize PQF to hit 1K. Is there any tips and tricks to adding extra connections 94 maximizing the number of connections beyond “brute searching”. Eg. ATL (or CHA)-IAD and DEN in F while keeping the cost around 1.5k or so.

david_oz

I was referred here from another thread and would appreciate some help with getting my fiancé over the line for 1K this year because I’m hitting a bit of a brick wall and struggling to find much over 1.8 PQP per $ spent ($0.55 per PQP)

Departure Airport: IAH but willing to depart from elsewhere in North America or do two mileage runs by nesting a return trip beginning outside NA
Miles (PQF/PQP/BIS, choose one) Needed: PQP (5,000 - 6,000 or so)
Maximum Budget: hoping for around $2,200 - $3,000
Available Travel Dates: open
Required Metal or Codeshares Okay: probably will have to be mostly partner metal to get the amount of PQP needed
Route(s) You've Already Searched: TUN-IAH in LH/AC J, or MAD/BCN in AC PY is the best I’ve come up with so far, but have searched more or less the whole world back to IAH

Because this is a fun way to spend a weekend for us, bonus if the destination is interesting (even if only for a 24 hour mileage run stopover). Double bonus if the MR isn’t in Y although we are willing to do it in Y if the math works.